Today's News

Editor's note: Debra Booth was recently asked by the Boston Globe to write an essay from a "Gold Star Mother" for Veterans Day.Gold Star Mothers are those mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the service of this country. Last October, Booth's son, Josh, was killed while serving in Iraq. He was buried here in Bedford. Since Bedford and Virginia were mentioned throughout in her essay, she thought she would share it with us. We're glad she did.

The New London Business and Technology Center, located on U. S. 460, is getting its first resident.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held last week for the Innovative Wireless Technologies new facility. The $5.6 million project is expected to create 50 new high tech jobs in the area over the next several years. According to Deputy Secretary of Trade David Smith, the high tech company could have gone to North Carolina or Pennsylvania.

Local driver Chris Jones continued his remarkable ascent up the NASCAR chain with an impressive finish at last weekend?s Phoenix 150, a part of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Jones, a native of Forest, started 35th in the Friday night race, but worked his way up in the field. In the end, following a mishap in the pits and after some shuffling on cautions, he settled for 27th place in a field that included such hot brands as Kevin Harvick, Stacey Compton and Mike Skinner.

The Jefferson Forest cross country team wrapped up its season as it began it: as a team. Competing as Bedford County?s only representative in the State Championship at Great Meadows (Warrenton), the boys? team took eighth place, while the girls? squad nabbed eleventh.

The boys? race was a fleet affair, with the top 15 finishers all breaking the 16 minute barrier for the 5 kilometer (3.1 mile) course.

What madness is this? I look at the latest football polls and see the likes of Kansas and Missouri sprinkled into the top 10. Hawaii is angling to break into the upper echelons. At times, Kentucky, South Florida and South Carolina threatened the top.

I feel that the college football scene has become a kind of Bizarro World, where everything is supposedly normal but, in truth, is inverted.

Take a look at the BCS standings this week. LSU is at the top. So far, so good. The Bayou Bengals are a traditional football powerhouse.

Undercurrents will abound when Liberty plays its Regional semifinal playoff game against district rival, Brookville.

The Minutemen should be licking their chops at the prospect of making up for the drubbing they received at the hands of the Bees five weeks ago. In that game, Liberty watched a 20-7 halftime lead evaporate after Homecoming activities, as Brookville caught fire in a 47-20 win.

This is what it?s like to keep a foot on the neck of an opponent. This is what it?s like to throttle another team?to run it out of its own stadium. The Liberty football team showed how it can play when hitting on all cylinders and chose a perfect game in which do do so: the opening round of the VHSL playoffs.

As I write this, the results of Tuesday's elections are still unknown. By the time you read this, however, everybody will know.

At least, I hope everybody was paying attention. Elections are important and Bedford area residents had four contested races on their ballots. I want to thank Delegate Lacey Putney, Lewis Medlin, Sheriff Mike Brown, Chuck Green, Darryl Updike, Andy Dooley, Tom Dooley, Annie Pollard, Julie Bennington and Laura Rodes for having their names on the ballot. They gave voters a choice, something we must have for democracy to work.

Veterans Day is an opportunity for us to honor the lives and sacrifices of our nation?s veterans. America?s veterans have dedicated themselves to securing the safety and freedom of their fellow Americans. We enjoy rights and freedoms unmatched by any other nation in the world and our brave servicemen and women have served throughout history to make that possible. For these selfless actions, we have a responsibility to ensure that our troops are sufficiently provided for when they return home.